Chapter 5

LINA'S POV

I stood there, stunned. Jax's words hung in the air. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. He found his mate?. His words echoed in my mind repeatedly. How could this be? I'm his mate. What the hell is going on here?

"But how...?" I said, my voice barely a whisper.

Jax's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I know, Lina. I couldn't believe it myself at first. It's funny how I found my mate on the day the orb glowed. It shows how amazing fate is"

"How did you find her? Tell me how you knew it was her"

"Yesterday, something happened. Something that made everything clear. I stepped out of my chambers then when I came back, I noticed that the mate orb glowed brightly. As soon as I saw it glow, I knew my mate was around or she might have even come to my room. I went outside to look for any girl who was nearby. Then, I saw Trixie leaving the camp. I had a feeling it was her but I wasn't sure"

My breath got caught in my throat. My mind reeled at his words. Trixie... It couldn't be. In that moment, I knew Trixie had betrayed me. I knew she had made Jax believe they were mates. Trixie was my best friend. I had known her for years. We told each other everything. I didn't want to believe that someone I considered my sister had done this to me. I didn't want to jump into conclusions. I waited for him to finish. Maybe this was all a big misunderstanding.

"Jax, I..." I struggled to find my voice. I didn't even know what to say, where to start from. He was so happy and convinced that Trixie was his mate. I remembered how excited he was to find his mate. I wish I knew then that we were mates. I would have said something.

"Tonight, Trixie came to me. She looked...troubled. She told me that she touched the orb but didn't want to say anything because she thought I would be mad that she entered my room and touched my stuff. She said her wolf called out to her and told her in a dream that we're mates. I was a bit skeptical at first but I thought about it. How else would she know about the orb? She told me the orb glowed when she touched it and her wolf told her that it means we were both connected. It's crazy, right? "

My heart clenched at the mention of Trixie's deceit. I had to hold myself. The world seemed to tilt on its axis, reality warping and shifting before my eyes. Trixie, my friend, the one I trusted with my life, had betrayed me in the worst possible way. She just had dinner with me a few hours ago. When I told them about the mate orb, she must have gotten an idea then ran to Jax to make it seem like she was his mate. And now, Jax stood before me, oblivious to her deciet. I couldn't believe this. I wished everything was just a dream. I felt the world spinning around me.

"Why don't you look happy for me, Lina?" Jax asked me. He sounded genuinely confused.

I swallowed the lump in my throat "I have something to tell you, your grace"

"Go on. Please, speak freely"

I took a deep breath "I don't know how to say this, your highness but I - I'm your mate"

For a long moment, there was silence. The only thing I could hear was the sound of my heart pounding in my ears. Then, Jax burst into laughter.

"Stop joking, Lina," he said "This is serious. That was funny though"

I shook my head "I'm not joking, Alpha. I touched the orb. It glowed when I touched it. When I got home I told Trixie about it. That's why she came here to tell you lies. I didn't know what the glow of the orb meant until I put two and two together. That's why I'm here. I'm here to tell you that we are mates"

His laughter died away. He looked at me with a stern expression.

"That's impossible" he said "I feel the connection to Trixie"

"That's because she manipulated you. Why would I lie?"

Jax looked at me with an unreadable expression. I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"What proof do you have?" he asked me. His voice was suddenly firm.

"There's no proof but-"

"But nothing" a familiar voice interrupted us.

It was Trixie. She walked out of the shadows. With an evil smile, she wrapped her arms around Jax. I looked at their intertwined hands in shock. They had gotten so close already, in just a few hours. She tip toed and kissed his cheek. It took every self restraint in me not to push her away from him.

"What's going on here, loves?" she asked

I glared at her "You know exactly what's going on, Trixie. You're trying to steal him away from me!"

"Oh Lina" she rolled her eyes "You don't give up, do you? Don't mind her, my love. She's always been like this. She always tries to steal what's mine. She's also dreamt of being queen ever since she was a kid"

"That's not true" I blinked back tears "Your highness, you have to believe me. Please, I'm telling the truth"

Jax's expression hardened "Enough, Lina. I've heard enough."

Trixie's voice trembled as she spoke "Jax, she's lying to you! She's always been jealous of what's mine."

A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "Jealous? You're clearly the one who's jealous. You want what's mine."

"Be quiet!" Jax screamed "You dare talk to your future Luna that way?"

Trixie broke into a fit of sobs. She hid her face in Jax's arms and cried. Jax looked at me with so much annoyance that I thought he would hurt me.

"Look what you've done" he said "You made my mate cry"

"Just leave, Lina" Trixie sobbed "You shouldn't even be in this pack. As long as you're here, you won't let us be. I won't be surprised if you try to kill me"

I looked at her in horror "What?"

"My love" Trixie looked at Jax with pleading eyes "She'll never leave us alone. She never learns her lesson. I want her to go away, please"

Before I could say anything, Jax spoke up.

"Consider it done" Jax said "Lina, I banish you from this pack"